Characteristics of Reading-Aloud Performance and its Association with Raters’ Judgment in Korean Middle School English Language Learners

This study investigated the relationship between characteristics of oral reading fluency (ORF) and raters’ judgments of reading-aloud performances of Korean middle school students learning English as a second language (L2). It examines not only accuracy and rate but also prosodic features which are often overlooked in L2 contexts. Sixty-five students (44 seventh graders and 21 eighth graders) participated, with performances evaluated by two raters using a four-point scale. The recordings were analyzed based on three components of ORF: accuracy and rate, measured by Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM); and prosody, measured by sentence-final F₀ change and intrusive pauses. The findings revealed that WCPM and intrusive pauses were significant predictors of raters’ evaluation of L2 ORF. Detailed analyses of intrusive pauses identified two primary sources of these unnatural pauses: decoding difficulties and challenges in syntactic parsing. These findings highlight specific difficulties faced by Korean middle school students when reading texts. These findings have important pedagogical implications, providing educators with insights for developing instructional strategies to enhance ORF.